Featured Article
The Synergy of Partnerships: RISS, NAGIA, and NNOAC Working Together
By Matt McDonald, RISS National Coordinator
As the RISS National Coordinator, I have the privilege of representing RISS on the Executive Board of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations (NAGIA). This board is supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) and the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Gang Center (NGC), which is jointly funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the DOJ, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The executive board consists of knowledgeable and extremely dedicated law enforcement professionals who strive to enhance officer safety and protect our communities from the most dangerous criminals. Through this alliance…
RISS Center Highlight-WSIN
WSIN Human Trafficking Conference 2018
The Western States Information Network (WSIN) held its second annual Human Trafficking Conference in February, with a focus on “Collaborating to Combat Human Trafficking.” Located in the Sacramento, California, area, the training conference attracted 288 attendees from 120 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada and from various law enforcement backgrounds, including sworn officers/investigators, crime and intelligence analysts, and prosecutors…
RISS Centers Make a Difference Every Day
Quotes
“RISSProp is invaluable! It provides us with investigative leads that we would not have otherwise.”
—Sergeant Chris Hardiman
Saco, Maine, Police Department
“The photos and maps [provided by MAGLOCLEN] were used as exhibits at trial. The jury convicted the defendant of first-degree murder, and he will receive a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. Thank you for your assistance–it really made a difference.”
—Assistant District Attorney Travis Anderson
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney’s Office
Shared Successes
Through the use of ROCIC specialized surveillance equipment, the Harrison County, West Virginia, Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) gathered and used new evidence to obtain a confession from a man who had killed a 7-year-old child 30 years ago. The person of interest in the cold case was still residing in the jurisdiction and investigators were concerned that he might be abusing children at his residence. Over a 30-day period, evidence was gathered from the surveillance equipment installed near the person of interest’s home. The suspect was subsequently brought in and questioned. With the new evidence that was obtained, the suspect confessed to the child’s murder. The HCSO chief deputy and the investigative sergeant stated that the ROCIC equipment, which their agency could not afford to obtain on its own, was instrumental in obtaining the confession and that it saved their agency numerous man-hours of investigative time.
The Phoenix, Arizona, Police Department contacted the RMIN RISSafe Watch Center to request that an address be entered into RISSafe to conduct surveillance during a narcotics investigation. Seizures included 87 pounds of meth, valued at $174,000; 0.50 pound of heroin, valued at $5,200; 8 pounds of marijuana, valued at $3,200; 2 firearms; and $14,000 in U.S. currency. One suspect was arrested.
Did You Know?
In FY2017, agencies using RISS reported that they located 1,476 individuals, prosecuted 359 cases, and resolved 1,300 cases, in part, because of RISS’s support. Law enforcement agencies reported that by using RISS services, their officers were able to arrest more than 39,500 offenders and seize more than $565 million in narcotics, property, and currency over the last ten years. In addition, RISS
- Loaned more than 3,250 pieces of specialized equipment, such as body-wire receivers and cameras
- Responded to and provided research and information for 85,122 requests for assistance
- Provided access to more than 2 million records to authorized personnel, including access to investigative databases, such as the RISS Property and Recovery Tracking System (RISSProp), the RISS Money Counter Project (MCP), and the RISS Master Telephone Index (MTI)
- Provided one-on-one technical support to agencies through field services
- Developed numerous publications and law enforcement-sensitive briefings
These statistics highlight only a handful of RISS’s impact. Hundreds of shared successes are submitted to RISS each year from agencies. Examples can be viewed at www.riss.net/Impact.
Technology Corner
The RISS Directors are pleased to announce the HSIN-Intel Program Management Office (PMO) can now access 28 CFR Part 23 Online Training via the HSIN federation to the RISS Program. Close interagency collaboration with partners including RISS, HSIN, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has expanded the access to a community of users that will benefit from this valuable training. The 28 CFR Part 23 Online Training is an introductory-level training on the regulation’s core principles and provides an understanding of privacy and civil liberties concerns related to criminal intelligence information sharing.
Questions?
Your RISS National Coordinator, Matt McDonald, is representing you at numerous nationwide meetings and working to identify new resources and partnerships to help you in your efforts. Questions or ideas?
Contact Matt at mmcdonald@riss.net
